Q poll: 48% of New Yorkers oppose fracking

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By Derrick Ekek@the-leader.com

The Steuben Courier Advocate

By Derrick Ekek@the-leader.com

Posted Aug. 22, 2014 at 4:35 PM

By Derrick Ekek@the-leader.com
Posted Aug. 22, 2014 at 4:35 PM

A new Quinnipiac University poll released Friday indicated that 48 percent of New Yorkers are opposed to drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale because of environmental concerns, while 43 percent favor drilling for the economic benefits. Nine percent had no opinion.

It’s the highest level of opposition to drilling measured yet by Quinnipiac, which regularly polls New Yorkers on a variety of topics.

However, the results were flipped among upstate New Yorkers, who favored drilling by a margin of 48 percent to 43 percent.

New York City voters were strongly opposed, 55 percent to 35 percent, while suburban voters were about evenly divided, with 47 percent in favor and 55 percent opposed.

The same poll found that 41 percent of New Yorkers believe Gov. Andrew Cuomo was “dragging his feet” on deciding whether to allow the controversial drilling process of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Twenty percent felt he was carefully evaluating the issue.

Quinnipiac also asked New Yorkers about marijuana use for its latest poll, with 35 percent in favor of legalizing recreational pot, 44 percent supporting medical use only, and 19 percent saying it shouldn’t be legal at all.

Earlier this year, New York became the 23rd state to legalize medical pot. Also this year, recreational use became legal in Colorado and Washington, the first two states to allow it.

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,034 registered voters in New York between Aug. 14 and Aug. 17, calling land lines and cell phones. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, the university says.